Woodland Hills Senior High School

I had to remove my son from this school after he suffered serious burns AT SCHOOL and then was sent home on the school bus. Administration refused to remove or even unplug the equipment responsible for his injuries and was completely unresponsive to my concerns. It took over 40 emails and phone calls and a threat from a lawyer just to have the equipment disabled. Now I rely on WHSD for transportation to and from our private school (which is mandated by PA state law), and they can't even get that right. For the last two days, no bus has shown up for my child, either taking him to school or bringing him home. Parents had to be called to retrieve their children yesterday afternoon. This district is utterly inefficient and worthless.
--Submitted by a parent

Well, even though I do not go to this school, I know many people from there. A few years ago, the seniors would beat up teachers and even the kids very badly. That has changed because guess what, they all left. I'm a senior at Franklin Regional and I can defiantly tell you that there is a BIG difference. Woodland hills is like a big family now. I mean yes there still is all the drama and normal high school gossip, but, the thing with that school is that really is no bullying. At Franklin, that's all you see, EVERYWHERE! I was supposed to go to this school in 2008 - 2009 year and I wish I would have because Franklin is a bad school. Franklin you get treated differently if you don't have a big nice house, or lots and lots of money. Woodland hills, you don't have to worry about that. I suggest this school.

I am a 2006 alumna from Woodland Hills. While I was there, I took AP classes whenever I could and participated in extracurricular activities, including a sport, many music-related activities, and clubs and societies besides these. Despite my intense Woody High pride while I was a student, I wouldn't send my own kids to this school. Many of the teachers at WH are good, and the school's offerings in sports and performing arts are good, but otherwise, it's not a good school at all. The academics are sub-par and leave students unprepared for college. There are too many students, not enough good teachers, and too much focus on preparing for standardized tests. Don't send your kids here. I'm not sure where these other people went to college that they felt prepared, but I've never heard from any of my friends (all of whom were at the top of the class) that they felt prepared for college at all.

This school is 'picked' on by these UNinformed parents and media. Yes it is true that this school did have discipline problems a few years back, however, now the school is doing fantastic. The teachers are just as involved with the students as the 'private' schools. These schools aspects are the same kids in uniforms (if they are not in them already in public schools) with money, or on a minority scholarship. I want the uninformed to see what it's like and to quit judging. The teachers are excellent and so are the students. Plus in the 2009-2010 school year, there was 1.5 million dollars gained by seniors for college. Less than 10% of them were for sports too. Thank you, -9th Grader
--Submitted by a student

At the Junior High, the teachers are the ONLY ones who care about our education while the administration pampers the football team. The school has many resemblances to a prison; You don't learn anything, there's cameras everywhere, 15+ rent-a-cops, security checkpoints at every door, and police on standby. The principles operate on a basis of fear, and will suspend any student who questions that power. The amount of stress that school put on me may of very well caused the disease that I'm now forced to live with. The funniest thing is they try and sell the gimmick of helping students become creative individuals, but yet they take away any sense of individualism by forcing dress codes and uniforms onto us.If this school cared as much about our education as they did about punishment and the football team, WHSD would be a serious competitor for best district in the state.
--Submitted by a student

I am quite pleased with Woodland Hills High School. Academically the school is good but there are so many wonderful opportunities for students-- sports, marching band, musical, and more that make the school great. The teachers I have had contact with are receptive and care about the students. A caveat-- students get what they put into the school. If your student is motivated he or she will only reap half the benefits of this school. Don't believe the hype. Come see what Woody High can be!
--Submitted by a parent

This school has the worst reputation, and does not come close to deserving it. Woodland Hills unlike most schools have a very diverse student body, not in the sense of race because that certainly is not the case, there are two races, white and black. WH is diverse in the sense of student ability, as shown by the test scores the low are low, and most likly do not try on these standardized tests, but on the other hand the upper end of the school is comparable to the upper end of any other school, and in a few cases exceeds many other schools. I am a student of WH, and given my schedule of demanding, and difficult classes i have gained an education which i believe is superior to schools elsewhere in the Pittsburgh area. In addition to the high quality of the classes offered, the extracurricular are unrivaled.
--Submitted by a student

I feel that the school focuses more on punishing every student for little things. If they put a little more time trying to listen and giving the kids help with their problems instead of just punishing those who dont deserve it, Woodland Hills could be a top notch school. I disagree the notion that there are fights almost every day. THe 9th grade academy system works vey well, although inconvenient for some. I havent seen a fight yet.
--Submitted by a student

Woodland Hills has the potential to be a great school, but put all of their time and money into less important things such as football and punishing students for unimportant things, such as how you dress. Almost every period of the day, while walking to class, there is a fight.
--Submitted by a student

Woodland Hills doesn't get the best reputation but it's a great school. Everyone in Pittsburgh knows about Woody High's football team and it's perrenial success. But the school also has an amazing performing arts department, with great classes as well as outside activities like the spring musical. The Gifted Department is also extremely strong, offering oppurtunities for both students in the program and outside the program. There is a lot of diversity in the school so students learn how to work with people quite different from themselves. It's a great school, but it gets a bad reputation that is undeserved.
--Submitted by a student